All good points, Kym. And like you, I'm very happy that things have gotten better so that these painters actually have a pretty scene to paint. That said, I can't help but feel sad that it wasn't in time to save more of the amazing giant trees that once grew all over this area. I imagine what this view would have looked like back then, and I feel a little blue missing those enormous redwoods that once would have stood along Big River.

I looked it up before I posted. Both are correct, although colossi is probably more correct, if that makes sense. I chose "colossuses," though, because the four syllables along with the repetition of the "s" sound appealed to me more. A denser word for bigger trees, you know?